Learn Practical Tips In A Caregiver Support Group
Caregiving can be lonely. Caregiver support groups are great for emotional support. They can help you feel less alone. This is an important reason to join, but support groups are also educational.
As a new family caregiver, you may feel unprepared to help a loved one with dementia. You might not know much about the condition. You might not have practical caregiving skills, either. Building caregiving competence keeps your care recipient safe. It’s also good for your own mental health.
A dementia caregiver support group provides essential information. This includes practical tips you can use. In this blog, we’ll learn about:
- How caregiver support groups educate participants
- What you can learn from other support group participants
- Caregiver support groups that offer more formal training
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when first providing care. To learn more about your new role, rely on support groups and other caregivers. Interested in Trualta’s support groups? Check if you have free access.
How Caregivers Learn In Support Groups
The purpose of a caregiver support group is to give support and information to individuals providing care. Many groups are specific to a condition, like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This ensures all participants get relevant information.
Many dementia support groups are led by trained individuals. This could be a social worker or a health care professional. The leader could also be a family caregiver specially trained to lead and educate others. There are a few different ways a support group can help you learn more about providing care:
- Formal learning. Some groups provide formal training. A facilitator leads the group and teaches caregiving skills specific to dementia.
- Peer learning. Most groups revolve around peer support. Individuals in the group share their experiences. You can learn from your peers’ challenges, solutions, and practical tips.
- Resources. Many groups provide caregiver resources. Participants can use this information to seek additional training or support, like respite care. Respite care allows the caregiver to take a break from their responsibilities.
What Can I Learn From Participants?
A peer-based support group focuses on sharing feelings and caregiving experiences. Although a trained facilitator may be present, the focus is on the participants. This is a great way to get emotional support and build social connections.
Why Is It Helpful To Learn From Peers?
A peer support group can be a good learning experience for a family caregiver. There are many benefits of informal learning from your peers:
- Your caregiving peers understand your position and experiences.
- Many of the participants in a support group have been caregiving longer. They have valuable information to share.
- Caregivers can offer a lot of practical tips you can use right away.
- Other caregivers have faced challenges and developed useful solutions they can share.
- Listening to other caregivers gives you a chance to learn from their mistakes.
What Can You Expect to Learn In A Caregiver Support Group?
Learning practical skills and tips is one of the most important benefits of a support group. Your peers have valuable experiences to share. These are some examples of what you might learn:
- Creating a routine. Routine is important for people with dementia and memory loss. Your peers can share their strategies for making and sticking to schedules.
- Handling difficult behaviors. Managing personality and behavior changes is a big challenge for dementia caregivers. Your peers will share what works for them. For example, if your loved one won’t eat healthy meals, they may accept nutritional shakes.
- Limiting wandering. People with dementia often wander. This can be dangerous. They can easily get lost. More experienced caregivers have developed strategies for keeping their loved ones safe. Some practical solutions include a stop sign on the front door as a reminder or a curtain over the door to hide it.
- Managing agitation. Dementia patients often get agitated. Your peers can share how they identified the triggers for agitation. They will have tools and strategies for calming an agitated loved one. Tips as simple as limiting sugar and caffeine may help.
- Improving sleep. Difficult sleep is a common complication of dementia. Your fellow caregivers will have ideas for how to manage this. They can help you figure out how to improve your loved one’s sleep.
- Improving mobility. Many people with dementia are older adults who may have mobility issues. You can get practical tips from your peers to help your loved one move more easily.
These are just a few examples of what you might learn in your support group. The possibilities are nearly endless for what you can learn that will help you provide better care.
Learning In A Structured & Educational Support Group
You may choose to participate in a more structured support group with an educational focus. This type of group focuses more on training and education. It includes less informal sharing of experiences.
A family caregiver support program with an educational focus is a good choice if you’re more interested in learning than peer support. These are the skills and concepts dementia caregivers learn in formal training:
- Dementia types, symptoms, and behaviors
- Effective communication with a loved one who has dementia
- Managing challenging behaviors
- Planning personalized care
- Basic medical knowledge and emergency response
The type of support group you join is a personal choice. Some people want to learn formal skills, while others prefer to learn from their peers. Joining any caregiver support group is a positive step toward providing better care.
